‘We treat galamsey with kid gloves compared to other situations’ – A Rocha Ghana

Deputy Executive Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, has criticised the state's approach to combating illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, saying weak enforcement has allowed the practice to persist.

Mr Bossu said Ghana has failed to effectively enforce existing laws, despite enforcement being a key component of efforts to tackle illegal mining.

Speaking on Channel One TV's The Point of View on Wednesday, September 30, he said the state has been too lenient in dealing with galamsey.

“We treat Galamsey with kid gloves compared to other situations that this country is also confronted with,” he said.

Mr Bossu argued that weak enforcement undermines other measures being proposed to address the problem, including formalisation, modernisation and the provision of equipment to miners.

He also criticised the centralised nature of enforcement, saying it has weakened the state's ability to provide leadership in mining communities.

“Enforcement has been very lackadaisical. Enforcement has been centralised instead of decentralised,” Mr Bossu said.

He attributed the persistence of galamsey to years of what he described as “systematic negligence, systematic error of non-enforcement and non-compliance”, arguing that the problem has grown beyond what can be addressed through isolated interventions.

Mr Bossu maintained that stronger enforcement and compliance, alongside other measures, are necessary if Ghana is to make meaningful progress in the fight against illegal mining.

-citinewsroom